Angels Ready for a Close-up

As part of a Major League Baseball promotion, the Angels and the Oakland Athletics will don replica uniforms from the 1982 season during a key three-game series that begins tonight at Edison Field.

The idea behind the Triumphant Glory Series: Give teams a chance to celebrate their most memorable year in club history.

Forsaking 1986, the year of the unforgettable American League championship series meltdown against the Boston Red Sox, the Angels chose to turn back the clock two decades to the year they won the second of their three AL West division titles.

Twenty years from now, the franchise hopes the 2002 uniforms will spur memories of a division title--and perhaps more.

The Angels begin their AL West series against the A’s riding a wave of confidence after sweeping the first-place Seattle Mariners over the weekend.

The three-game sweep, their first against the Mariners since 1998, put the Angels in sole possession of second place and moved them within a game of Seattle.

Angel players enjoyed the moment on the field immediately after Sunday’s 7-5 victory, but by the time they reached the clubhouse they were humbly looking ahead.

The Angels conclude the home stand with the series against the A’s, who are two games behind the Mariners, then continue their most important stretch of the season when they travel to Seattle for a three-game series before returning home to face the Red Sox and New York Yankees.

“We have another big game [tonight] and we have to be ready for that,” shortstop David Eckstein said. “It’s been a good run but we have to keep up that intensity.”

After the sweep, Mariner second baseman Bret Boone said the Angels were proving themselves a contender, then added, “You can’t forget about Oakland.”

The Angels haven’t.

The A’s won two of the three games against Texas over the weekend and are 6-3 against the Angels this season.

The Angels split a two-game series at Oakland last week. Kevin Appier (8-7) earned the victory in a 10-4 win and will start today against left-hander Barry Zito (13-3), who shut out the Angels, 2-0, with help from two relievers.

Oakland Manager Art Howe moved Zito up a day in the rotation so he can throw left-handers Ted Lilly, Mark Mulder and Zito against the Rangers this weekend.

Tim Hudson, who beat the Angels in April, and Cory Lidle, coming off a one-hitter against the Rangers on Saturday, will follow Zito against the Angels.

“With their pitching staff, you know it’s possible that you might only get one or two runs to work with,” said Appier, who played for Oakland in 1999 and 2000. “That doesn’t change the way you pitch, but you want to be on top of your game when you face them.”

Oakland General Manager Billy Beane already has added Lilly in a trade with the Yankees and, if tradition holds, will probably make another deal before the July 31 trade deadline.

Angel General Manager Bill Stoneman also is considering trades, but said, “I won’t make one just to put a peg on the board. I’m not going to do something if it’s not going to make us better.”

Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said he is happy with the current configuration of his roster.

“You’re always looking to improve your club,” he said. “If we don’t [make a trade], I’m confident with the group we have.

“We not only match up better with teams in our division much better than at any time since I’ve been here, but also with other teams in the American League that are contenders.”

Before the series against the Mariners, Angel left-hander Jarrod Washburn said it was important for the Angels to prove that they were a team Seattle should worry about. After he extended his major-league leading winning streak to 12 games Sunday, Washburn felt the Angels had achieved their goal.

“I think we showed the Mariners that we’re not going to go away,” Washburn said.

Now, the Angels must prove the same point to the A’s.

“All three of us are so close, if you let up, you’re going to be looking up so far you might not be able to catch anybody,” Eckstein said.

“There’s still a lot of baseball to be played.”